Volunteer Mentor
The Diana Award Mentoring Programme supports young people aged 14-18 at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) to develop their careers skills, whilst making positive change in their community.
What You'll Do:
Your responsibilities as a volunteer mentor:
- Commit to weekly sessions for twelve weeks and/or to monthly session for five months, demonstrating consistency and punctuality. Mentoring Programme sessions last 60 to 90 minutes (excluding travel time) and Social Action Accelerator Pilot sessions last 120 minutes (excluding travel time). Follow through is key when working with young people at risk of becoming NEET.
- Collaborate with The Diana Award Facilitators and other volunteer mentors to deliver and support sessions.
- Review session plans and prepare for weekly and/or monthly sessions.
- Create a safe and positive learning environment and provide young people with encouragement, guidance, and constructive feedback.
- Nurture positive relationships with young people. Listen, understand, and acknowledge their feelings and experiences.
- Support young people to plan a social action project.
- Foster a growth mindset and encourage young people to challenge themselves to work towards their goals.
- Support young people’s professional development by connecting them with further opportunities. For example, workplace visits, work experience, resources, relevant networks etc.
- Identify and report any safeguarding and child protection concerns or disclosures to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, as per The Diana Award Safeguarding Policy.
Why You'll Love It:
Participating in our programmes as a volunteer mentor is a lot of fun, incredibly inspiring and fulfilling. You will get the opportunity to:
- Understand more about barriers facing young people in your community
- Build on your knowledge of social action and take part in social action projects
- Make a difference: Help support young people’s confidence, work readiness and active citizenship
- Make your CV stand out
What You'll Learn:
You will gain so much in the process, and learn and enhance transferrable skills such as:
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Leadership and teamwork • Project management
- Building empathy and youth enagement
- Increased self-confidence and self-awareness
What We're Looking For:
Requirements_
- A minimum of 18-years-old.
- Willing to complete a DBS Check (paid for by The Diana Award).
- Willing to provide contact details for two referees.
- Able to commit to weekly and/or monthly face-to-face sessions.
- Able to attend a three-hour in-person mentor training session.
- Has the right to work and volunteer in the UK.
- Lives or works in or near to London.
Skills_
- Passion for working with young people and an interest in youth-led social action.
- Has developed or willing to develop active listening skills.
- Ability to see solutions and opportunities when working with people or in a group setting.
Experience/Knowledge_
- Has work experience, this can be professional, from previous volunteering, or social action initiatives.
- Has developed or willing to develop experience of picking, planning, and delivering a social action campaign.
Optional Experience/Knowledge_
- Has experience in organising grassroots activism.
- Has experience or knowledge in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
- Has experience or knowledge in Widening Participation.
- Has experience in project management.
- Ability to show resilience when faced with challenging situations or behaviours.